Intra-articular Pressure Measurement System

关节负荷和潜在的组织力学行为之间的关系尚不清楚，但在包括骨关节炎或骨质疏松症在内的肌肉骨骼疾病的发生和发展中具有重要意义。利用新的、先进的成像技术，如定量磁共振成像(QMRI)和高分辨率外周定量计算机断层扫描(HR-pQCT)，可以非破坏性地研究组织的力学特性。组织的力学响应本质上是局部的，但通常只研究联合载荷；如果知道局部载荷分布，我们将发现更多关于组织力学行为的信息。使用所要求的‘关节内压力测量系统’、身体关节模型和新的成像技术，将有可能确定局部和局部负荷变化对邻近和潜在组织的影响。这将为理解关节负荷和组织力学行为之间的关系提供独特而重要的数据。*我们已经组建了一个由三名研究人员组成的团队，他们都有Discovery Grant计划，我们正在寻求一种‘关节内压力测量系统’。我们的研究项目侧重于研究关节载荷和组织力学行为之间的关系，但我们使用的关节、组织、入路、模型和先进的成像工具有所不同。所要求的系统将被用来识别1)膝关节载荷与关节软骨和半月板力学行为之间的关系，使用定量MRI方法，2)膝关节载荷与骨力学行为之间的关系，使用定量HR-pQCT和有限元分析，以及3)腕关节载荷与骨折模型中的骨骼之间的关系，使用定量HR-pQCT、有限元分析和数学模型。增加的‘关节内压力测量系统’将极大地加强我们的研究计划，使我们每个人都可以进入新的研究方向，这些方向具有比单独研究合成载荷更大的潜在影响。我们相信，这些结果将引起国际观众的极大兴趣。所要求的系统是最先进的，可以动态评估整个关节表面的局部载荷分布，这使其成为我们每一种特定应用的最合适工具。该系统还将丰富我们HQP的研究经验；我们预计在未来六年内将有大约42人接受该系统的培训。这将使HQP在接触力学领域获得重要的技术实践技能，这些技能可以转化为许多其他工程和研究领域。

The relationship between joint loading and underlying tissue mechanical behaviour is not well understood but is of great importance in the onset and progression of musculoskeletal disorders including osteoarthritis or osteoporosis. Using novel, advanced imaging techniques such as quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) and high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT), it is possible to non-destructively study tissue mechanical properties. Mechanical response of tissues is local in nature but often only resultant joint loads are studied; we will discover more about tissue mechanical behaviour if local loading distributions are known. Using the requested ‘Intra-articular Pressure Measurement System', cadaver joint models, and novel imaging techniques it will be possible to identify the impact of local and focal loading changes on adjacent and underlying tissues. This will provide unique and important data towards understanding the relationship between joint loading and tissue mechanical behaviour.******We have assembled a team of three researchers who all have Discovery Grant Programs and we our requesting an ‘Intra-articular Pressure Measurement System'. Our research programs focus on studying the relationship between joint loading and tissue mechanical behaviour, but the joints, tissues, approaches, models and advanced imaging tools we use differ. The requested system will be used to identify relationships between 1) knee joint loading and articular cartilage and meniscus mechanical behaviour using quantitative MRI approaches, 2) knee joint loading and bone mechanical behaviour using quantitative HR-pQCT and finite element analysis, and 3) wrist joint loading and bone in a fracture model using quantitative HR-pQCT, finite element analysis and mathematical models. The addition of the ‘Intra-articular Pressure Measurement System' will greatly strengthen our research programs by allowing us each to enter new research directions which have the potential for much greater impact than studying resultant loads alone. We believe that these results will be of great interest to an international audience. The system requested is state-of-the-art and can dynamically assess local load distribution across the entire joint surface, which makes it the most suitable tool for each of our particular applications. The system will also enrich the research experience of our HQP; we anticipate approximately 42 will be trained on the system over the next six years. This will allow the HQP to gain important technical, hands-on skills in the area of contact mechanics that can be translated to many other engineering and research fields.